


Hit Me With Your Best Shot

by EmpressOfEdge



Series: Bumbleby Week 2019 [8]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumbleby Week 2019, F/F, Fluff, Humor, I actually contributed to bonus day lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 15:02:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19930000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressOfEdge/pseuds/EmpressOfEdge
Summary: “That’s cheating, Blake. No Semblances.”Blake chuckles as she spins back in front of her, light on her feet and hands raised.“Why not?” Blake asks, cocking an eyebrow. She smirks. “Afraid you’ll lose at your own game?”Day 8: BONUS DAY!





	Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this sitting in my WIPs so I decided to finish it up for bonus day! Hope you enjoy :)

“I still don’t understand why we have to do this.”

Yang looks up from her stretches to see Blake expertly wrapping her hands and wrists in tape. A small amount of surprise flickers across her features, quickly lost to the memory of dark ribbons adorning toned forearms. She cracks a grin, bringing her right arm across her body and twisting slightly.

“Blake, we’ve talked about this. With Gambol Shroud broken, you’ll need to be able to at least defend yourself in a fight.” Yang drops her arms swinging them back and forth. “Hand to hand is always a good place to start.”

Blake rolls her eyes as she secures the last of her wraps, stretching her fingers out to test the support the athletic tape provides.

“Maybe for someone whose Semblance doesn’t let them dodge,” she says, a hint of a smirk on her lips that Yang tries not to find extremely attractive.

It’s a new thing, letting her mind wander to places she’d shut out back when things were far too complicated. But now, they’ve crossed some kind of line together, and Yang’s treading lightly, not wanting to assume too much about the way she thinks Blake looks at her too. The way she’s noticed that small soft smile that Blake seems to only cast in her direction.

Or the way her gaze might currently be lingering on where Yang’s shirt has ridden up during her stretches, ears twitching of their own freewill as Blake’s eyes lid.

Yang clears her throat, cheeks burning – despite the pride she feels in her chest – and Blake jumps, startled as she realizes what she’s been doing. Her cheeks tint pink as well, and Yang thinks about how it’s the most adorable thing, before she can stop herself.

“Well, you can dodge all you want, Blake; but you’re going to have to strike sooner or later,” Yang says with a smirk. Her gaze softens a moment later and she adds, “Please, let me… let me help. I want to be there for you too…”

Blake looks at her, soft and sad, and Yang thinks maybe she shouldn’t have brought it up. But then, Blake’s nodding and her eyes harden again, determination setting in.

“Okay,” Blake says, the corner of her mouth twitching up into a smirk. She holds her arms out to her sides in an invitation, a challenge, and Yang likes the way Blake wears this new confidence she found during their time apart. “Show me what you got, Xiao Long.”

It’s not the first time she’s heard Blake say her last name, but there’s something different about it now, in the way it rolls off her tongue. It’s… alluring, and Yang finds herself lost in thoughts of showing Blake something else entirely.

Blake’s first strike is quick, and Yang barely has time to dodge it as her head clears from its daydream. Blake chuckles low and Yang can feel the hair at the back of her neck stick up.

“Almost got you,” Blake says, hands raised to guard. “Thought you were supposed to be teaching me.”

“Easy there, Belladonna,” Yang says with a quirk of her lips. “You still missed.”

Yang lunges forward with a jab and where she expects Blake’s arms to block the hit dissolves into shadows. Her eyes dance to the movement to her left just in time to raise her arm to deflect Blake’s blow. She huffs.

“That’s cheating, Blake. No Semblances.”

Blake chuckles as she spins back in front of her, light on her feet and hands raised.

“Why not?” Blake asks, cocking an eyebrow. She smirks. “Afraid you’ll lose at your own game?”

Yang huffs a laugh and blows her bangs out of her eyes. “As if,” she says as they start circling each other on the mat. “You’re good. But you’re not _that_ good.”

“You sure about that?” Blake asks, the quirk of her lips still firmly in place.

Yang’s about to respond when she feels a shove to her back. It’s not a hard hit, just enough to make her stumble forward. She only realizes Blake is the one who’s responsible for it though, as she tumbles through her shadow clone and onto the mat.

There’s a giggle from behind her, like Blake hadn’t expected her to go to the floor. Yang rolls herself over to look up at her partner and – even though she’s slightly disgruntled over the fact Blake’s absolutely _cheating –_ she finds herself smiling. Because Blake looks _happy_. And worry free. And that’s not something she’s seen a lot since they’ve come to Atlas.

Yang raises an eyebrow and Blake shrugs.

“Oops?”

Yang’s jaw drops. “ _Oops?”_

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Blake says, taking a step towards Yang. She smirks as she extends a hand down to her. “Look, I’ll even help you up.”

Yang squints at the offered hand for a moment and hesitantly reaches up. “If you’re just gonna make me fall back down, Belladonna, I’m telling you it’ll be war.”

“Would I do that? Don’t you trust me, Yang?” Her words are teasing, but Yang’s expression still softens and Blake’s falls serious along with it; her cheeks flushing pink and eyes darting to the side.

Yang smiles – small, but honest – and reaches up to lock hands with Blake. Whether Blake had originally intended to play a joke or not, she doesn’t, and Yang gets back on her feet, keeping Blake’s hand in hers for just a moment longer as she whispers, “Always.”

They let the moment settle, another notch on the ‘what are we?’ meter, and then Blake’s smirking again. She lets go of Yang’s hand and takes a few steps back, nodding.

“Okay,” she says, “no Semblances.”

Yang smiles and nods once before putting her hands up again. They trade a few blows before things get competitive.

It’s not surprising in the least, they used to spar all the time back at Beacon. But that had been with their weapons for the most part, and there had – generally – been more distance between them.

Or maybe Yang just hadn’t been paying attention back then. But now she _is_ , and she’s very aware of every time she can feel Blake’s breath on her skin. Of every time their skin touches. Of every sound of effort being drawn from the back of her partner’s throat.

Yang’s panting too, and she can’t help but wonder if Blake’s as aware of everything as she is. Can’t help but wonder if Blake’s face is only red from the workout.

She’s certain _hers_ isn’t.

Either way, Blake’s clearly _less_ distracted because she pulls a move that Yang’s not ready for, and Yang loses her footing enough to find herself tumbling backwards again. In an act of desperation to stay on her feet, she shoots a hand out and grabs onto the front of Blake’s shirt.

It’s both the best and worst idea she’ll have all day.

She catches Blake’s eyes widen as she makes an effort to shift her momentum back, but it doesn’t work, and Yang finds not only herself falling back, but dragging Blake along with her.

Yang lands on the mat with a grunt and then groans when she’s hit with the majority of Blake’s body weight on top of her, despite her partner’s best efforts to break her fall.

Luckily – by some miracle – their heads don’t collide, so at least Yang doesn’t have to worry about explaining a training concussion to Ruby. But, that fact does leave it so Blake’s body is pressed along every inch of her own, head tucked into the crook of her neck as they begin to shake with laughter.

Eventually, Blake finds the willpower to lift herself onto her forearms and Yang’s still laughing as some of the weight is lifted off her.

“Sorry,” Yang says between giggles, “I didn’t think you’d—” Her sentence dies on her tongue. Her breath catches. The smile finally starts to slip from her face.

Because now, she’s looking up at Blake, and she’s _so_ close. _So_ beautiful. _So_ … _so…_

Blake’s smile starts to fade too as Yang’s hand comes up, hovering in between them. An inch from touching Blake’s hair. From tucking the freshly cut locks behind her ear. From letting her fingertips brush gently along the line of her jaw.

An inch from testing the waters past that line they’ve crossed.

And Blake helps her do so, leaning forward just slightly until Yang’s fingers _do_ brush along her hair. With permission given, Yang gently maneuvers Blake’s hair behind her ear. She swallows thickly as her eyes bounce back to Blake’s and find them closed.

She can’t find her voice. Lost to the beauty and vulnerability of the woman hovering above her. Stunned silent from the complete show of trust that Blake’s giving her right now. She wants to _cry_. She wants to kiss her.

She _wants_ her. In every conceivable way, Yang just wants her. Wants to be able to be like this without it being a stupid training misstep. Wants to be able to exist like this in the safety and comfort of a bed. Not sweat-stained on the floor of a gym.

Not that the sweat-stained part is _all_ bad but—

Blake’s eyes flutter open and Yang feels herself falling into the pools of gold. Sees Blake’s eyes glance around her face. Feels her breath against her lips. Blake’s eyes stop their journey when they land on Yang’s mouth and Yang’s tongue flicks out to wet her lips on instinct.

Then, Blake’s leaning down. Her eyes are slowly closing. Her chest rising and falling a little faster. Yang can _almost_ taste her as their lips hover against each other. She just needs to lean up. Just a little. Just the slightest shift and they’ll be… she’ll…

The door to the gym slams open and Blake’s up. She’s still half-straddling Yang’s lap, but her lips are distinctly _not_ on hers and Yang has to hold in a groan, even if her face more than shows her aggravation.

Then, it only _grows_ because those are definitely Weiss and Ruby’s voices approaching and she _knows_ they have to move.

She smirks though, as Blake’s still distracted and looking in the direction of their voices. Maybe she doesn’t have to completely give up the closeness…

She uses her hips to flip them and Blake tumbles onto her back with a gasp as Yang pins her to the mat. Blake looks up at her for a moment, wide-eyed.

“Never let your guard down, Belladonna.”

Blake’s answer is a sly smirk and Yang’s confidence dwindles as she gulps, the look in her partner’s eyes making her feel like _she’s_ the one who lost. Like _she’s_ the one who’s pinned to the mat.

“Ruby. I told you, this is Atlas. You can’t just—Oh my _gods_ , can’t you two get a room?” Weiss’s voice snaps her out of it and they both glance over at her and Ruby standing in the doorway.

“Oh please,” Yang says, releasing Blake and sitting back on her knees. “I was just teaching her some hand-to-hand.” She’s pleased that it comes out confident, because confident is the last thing she’s feeling.

Weiss rolls her eyes and Ruby’s face is _red_ as they make their way towards the locker room. Yang lets out a breath as they disappear, and stands up, extending a hand down to Blake who takes it without hesitation, lifting herself from the ground.

“I… think we could probably call it a day,” Yang says, rubbing the back of her neck. “Not bad for a beginner.”

Blake chuckles. “You think I never had to throw a punch in the White Fang? Or… ever?”

Yang blushes. “Well, _yeah._ But I meant—like this is my actual _thing_ and you…”

Blake laughs, light and breathy and Yang thinks her heart stops beating as Blake takes a step forward, placing a hand on her bicep. “Thanks for the pointers, Yang,” Blake says, and then Yang feels soft lips brush her cheek, just barely grazing the corner of her mouth. When Blake pulls back, she’s a little more flushed than before. “Again tomorrow?”

“I—yeah.”

Blake nods once, smile shy as she makes her way for the locker room.

As she watches her go, Yang’s fingers brush against her own cheek, heart hammering at the thought of tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had a BLAST writing for BB Week! I hope you've enjoyed it, and I appreciate all your kind comments over the past week! :D Looking forward to doing more soon and getting back to You and Me, and One Hot Summer!
> 
> Feel free to drop comments/ kudos or what have you! It's always appreciated :)
> 
> And have a great day/ night!
> 
> Tumblr: @empressofedge


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